Make a fuss, Riverland

I AM a long term irrigator and I refute absolutely Water Minister Paul Caica's claim that irrigators are not entitled to their full irrigation entitlements when flows into South Australia reach 1850 gigalitres (GL).

The breakdown of 200GL for SA Water, 550GL for irrigators and 1100GL for the environment has always been the case.
Irrigation allocations have never been conditional on extra flows above the 1850GL.
Extra flows meant that the environment received more as these flows were not regulated.
This is another one of the very many reasons why the State Government should not be the authority that makes decisions on allocations.
They have a financial stake in allocating water for SA Water first, in that SA Water now has full allocation, therefore they do not need to spend any money to bring their allocation to 100 per cent. Irrigators, on the other hand, have only 41 per cent.
We have to spend 59 per cent of 550GL, multiplied by $60 (current price of water), which equals $19.47 million.
It is a big number. In fact, I will write it in script: nineteen million, four hundred and seventy thousand dollars to realize 100 per cent allocation.
Payment required to have the equivalent of 100 per cent of our respective allocations:
State Government - none.
SA irrigators – nineteen million, four hundred and seventy thousand dollars.
We are human beings. We have rights and this is completely amoral.
Where are the community voices, the commodity groups and the irrigation peak bodies?
The soldier settlers who fought for justice and freedom would be dismayed by our lack of mettle. It will get worse if we do nothing.
It has been suggested that we hit them where it hurts and picket the $450 million upgrade of Adelaide Oval. It's more likely going to be $900 million.
When it blows out they will squeeze us a little harder. Come on Riverlanders, make a fuss.
MARK PICKERING
Berri